Demon Slaying, Gaining 60 Years of Cultivation From the Start

At this moment, within the spiritual garden, the air was full of life energy and fragrance. Strands of auspicious light flickered in the medicinal fields, as various spiritual herbs were being picked by the cultivators and warriors who had come to this place.

Gu Chen ventured deep into the garden and unexpectedly came upon four Earth-level demons, which caused his expression to change.

"What are you trying to do?"

At this time, several from the Heavenly Mysterious Imperial Dynasty who saw the change in Gu Chen's demeanor, immediately frowned, a bad premonition arising in the depths of their hearts.

They were well aware of the few Cave Heaven Realm cultivators who had fused with demons nearby, as both parties belonged to the Saint Sect. Those four were secretly cultivated by the Heavenly Mysterious Imperial Dynasty, like some sort of assassin organization that operated in the shadows, doing unsavory deeds for the dynasty in secret.

Now, they were here on the orders of the Ninth Prince, Gu Yan, to search for the so-called nine-thousand-year spiritual herb, also known as "Nine Millennia." However, they had found nothing so far.

Gu Yan and his group didn't really believe that such a treasured resource of heaven and earth would appear in this garden. Nevertheless, they had harvested many spiritual herbs, which would greatly benefit Gu Yan's subsequent cultivation.

But unexpectedly, they had suddenly encountered Gu Chen, which was a surprise to the group from the Heavenly Mysterious Imperial Dynasty.

Especially seeing Gu Chen appearing eager to try something, their complexions grew even darker.

"Gu Jiuge, I advise you not to cause trouble. We of the Heavenly Mysterious Imperial Dynasty have no quarrel with you. Whatever you wish to do, we will not interfere!" said someone from the dynasty.

Clearly, this was a form of deference. For a power like the Heavenly Mysterious Imperial Dynasty to speak such words demonstrated their wariness towards Gu Chen.

"Indeed, in the upper realm, might makes right," Gu Chen realized, understanding that their main fear stemmed from his astonishing combat achievements and reputation, which made them wary of becoming enemies with him.

Unfortunately for them, he had no fondness for the Heavenly Mysterious Imperial Dynasty, not to mention that they were under the Saint Sect.

Seeing Gu Chen square off with the Heavenly Mysterious Imperial Dynasty, the onlookers knew big news was brewing and couldn't help but sigh internally that Gu Jiuge was truly restless, having just dealt with the Jiuying Clan and now taking on the Heavenly Mysterious Imperial Dynasty.

The crowd knew his strength, and if nothing unexpected happened, it would be another crushing defeat. They couldn't help but mourn for those from the dynasty in their hearts.

Seeing Gu Chen continuing to approach, the faces of those from the dynasty turned colder, and they said through clenched teeth, "Gu Jiuge, I'm warning you not to go too far. Have you considered how you will manage when you leave this secret realm after being so reckless?"

The leading warrior shouted, "You've already provoked the Tiankui Clan, the Blood Orchid Clan, and even incurred enmity with the Jiuying Clan akin to a death feud. Our Heavenly Mysterious Imperial Dynasty is magnanimous and has not held your previous transgressions against you, not actively causing you trouble is already a mercy. Now you are relentless and even want to strike against us; do you truly think you are invincible, free to roam the secret realm unchecked?"

This person shouted vehemently, attempting to intimidate Gu Chen into recognizing his predicament.

The onlookers also changed their expressions upon hearing this. Indeed, Gu Chen had unknowingly offended so many forces, especially the Jiuying Clan. If he provoked the Heavenly Mysterious Imperial Dynasty now, how would he fare when he left, even if his backing was formidable? Could he withstand the combined assault of two major powers?

For a moment, they all looked towards Gu Chen, eager to know how he would respond and whether he would persist in his decision to attack.

But, facing the words of the people from the Heavenly Mysterious Imperial Dynasty, Gu Chen's response was just two words, as he coldly said, "Shut up!"

The next moment, with a boom, Gu Chen took a step forward, approaching the group from the dynasty, and slapped out his palm. The seemingly light attack caused the entire garden to tremble, and the great formation hidden underground revealed itself.

"Puh!"

It was just one encounter, and the few Cave Heaven Realm cultivators from the dynasty coughed up blood, their bodies sent flying outward, their complexions turning pale and completely bloodless.

"Hand over all the spiritual herbs you've obtained," Gu Chen said indifferently.

"You!"

The people from the Heavenly Mysterious Imperial Dynasty were furious, not believing that the opponent was actually robbing them.

To hand them over, or not?

The next moment, such a thought appeared in their minds. According to Gu Jiuge's methods, not handing them over would likely mean death.

If they did hand them over, they might have a chance to save their lives but would certainly face punishment from the Ninth Prince, Gu Yan.

At this moment, the leading warrior from the Heavenly Mysterious Imperial Dynasty hesitated.

Then, the four expressionless men began to slowly close in on Gu Chen.

Obviously, after witnessing Gu Chen's behavior, they were preparing to take action against him, to give him a lesson!

After all, being under the same banner of the Heavenly Mysterious Imperial Dynasty, one in the open and one in the shadows, they certainly would not permit Gu Chen to be so imperious before them.

But to their surprise, Gu Chen swiftly turned his head, looking towards the four men, and said in a cold voice, "You vile demons, I've been waiting for you."

Immediately, Gu Chen moved forward, leaving a series of afterimages in his place. In an instant, he reached near the four men and unleashed a punch heavy as a billion jun, shaking the heavens and earth violently.

"This is bad!"

Seeing this, the others from the Heavenly Mysterious Imperial Dynasty were shocked and worried that the four men's identities within the Saint Sect would be exposed.

At the same time, they were puzzled, wondering if Gu Chen had noticed something.

Bang!

Gu Chen was too fast, and the four cultivators fused with demons couldn't even react. The first one was struck by such a powerful punch, and the sound of a muffled thunder echoed between heaven and earth.

"You..."

The man's expression tensed and his eyes were fierce as he glared at Gu Chen, opening his mouth to say something, but in the next moment, his body exploded instantly.

"What... what is he doing?"

The onlookers were somewhat stunned, unsure why Gu Chen had suddenly struck a seemingly uninvolved bystander. Could it be that they stood too close and displeased this fiend?

With this thought, the crowd quickly retreated afar, silent as cicadas in winter.

But the next moment, something happened that made everyone's souls leap with shock.

Hum!

The man whose body had exploded into a cloud of black energy instantly reformed, appearing unscathed before the crowd.

"A demon... demon?!" A group of people looked on with horrified expressions and trembling bodies, watching the scene before them in disbelief.

"Why... why is there a demon appearing here!" With a booming sound, like thunder striking atop their heads, the situation sent countless individuals into shocks, filled with immense fear and trepidation.

In the upper realms, the mere mention of demons would change one's expression, as they were feared by many for their strange methods, formidable strength, and unparalleled recovery capabilities, allowing them to dominate cultivators of the same realm.

Only those exceptional and monstrous talents possessed the strength to battle a demon, but killing one was incredibly difficult.

"A secret realm... how could a demon appear in a secret realm? Could it be... could it be that this area is sealed off because of the demon?"

"No, it's the Sanctum; all of this is a conspiracy by the Sanctum. The Sanctum has re-emerged in the Gray Domain!"

Upon seeing the demon, everyone panicked, like headless flies, muttering to themselves with fearful eyes, constantly fleeing in every direction.

In that moment, the place descended into chaos, illustrating just how terrifying demons were in the upper realm.

Or perhaps, the reputation of the Sanctum was similarly fearsome.

Emperor Xia, not far away, having been in the upper realm for many years, certainly understood the significant threat of demons, which reminded him of the deeply afflicted land of Jiuzhou.

Without a second thought, he was ready to step forward and help Gu Chen, but Gu Chen stopped him.

Four Earth level demons from the Cave Heaven Realm were no match for him; he could handle them with ease.

"Roar!"

Now that they had been discovered, the four didn't bother to hide any longer. The power of the demons burst forth, and a tide of black energy spread throughout the area, carrying a sinister and chilling force that eroded all life energy, as if it came from the netherworld.

At the same time, the minds of the four were immediately consumed, controlled by the demons inside them. This was one of the major drawbacks of fusing with demons!

Though it was called a fusion with demons, a more accurate description would be that their bodies were manipulated by demons, becoming appendages to the inner demons.

After all, demons, unlike ghosts and spirits, possessed intelligence and were independent entities. With their strange methods and ruthless nature, they were not easily controlled by the Ten Thousand Tribes.

Only those with indomitable wills could coexist with demons after a fusion.

Otherwise, as was the case with these four, they would be inhabited by the demon in normal times, and as soon as they borrowed its power, their bodies would be quickly controlled by the demon, with their own consciousness sinking into oblivion.

Over time, the cultivators' own spiritual essence would be contaminated, and they would end up as complete appendages to the demons, or in other words, puppets.

"Roar!"

At this moment, black energy enveloped the four, their pupils turning pure black, looking extremely eerie and exuding a dangerous aura from within them.

Gu Chen stood still, with nobody else nearby as everyone had retreated afar. He looked at the four demons in front of him with a calm expression, showing no hint of fear.

"I'm going to eat you!"

The four looked at Gu Chen, sensing a deadly attraction, their pupils flickering with dense black energy, their expressions fiercely menacing.

Clearly, the instincts of the demons made them realize Gu Chen's extraordinariness, knowing that devouring him would bring great benefits.

"No." At that moment, Gu Chen shook his head, a cold smile appearing on his lips as he softly said, "It is I who will 'eat' you all."

"Huh?"

At his words, the four demons were stunned, not understanding what Gu Chen meant.

And it was at that moment that Gu Chen made his move!

With a thunderous boom, the entire sky seemed to collapse as he leapt into the air, his agile body transforming into a sun deity, radiating thousands of light beams in an instant!

In that moment, dazzling light flickered across the sky, enveloping the entire medicine garden, illuminating the heavens and the earth. Everyone was blinded momentarily, seeing nothing but a vast expanse of white.

It was the Divine Sun World Illumination Sutra!

"Ah... No!"

Amidst the boundless radiance, a few ghastly screams could be faintly heard. Moments later, all the light receded, and people's vision was restored.

At this point, Gu Chen had landed back on the ground. His hair danced in the wind, his body shimmered with divine light, and he looked like a god descending among the mortal worlds, transcending to the extreme!

Opposite him, the four demons, whom everyone had feared and shied away from, had completely dissipated.

In Gu Chen's sight alone, traces of the demons' essence flowed through the void, entering his body.

To be honest, the strength of these four demons was not weak, much stronger than the middle-aged man from the Jiuying Clan.

"Four hundred Divine Power value?!" Seeing the information displayed on his panel, Gu Chen's face lit up with joy.

That was quite a significant "fortune."

"With this, should it be enough to upgrade my Divine Eye to the seventh grade?" Gu Chen felt exhilarated, his thoughts moving, and on the panel, the Divine Power value he had just acquired instantly dropped to zero, and the Divine Eye skill ascended from eighth grade to seventh grade in an instant!

A seventh-grade divine power appearing on a cultivator of merely the Cave Heaven Realm, if this news were to spread, the entire upper realm with its 3,600 domains would be astir!

Gu Chen not only possessed divine powers at an impossible realm, but he had also improved them to the seventh grade, an event shocking enough to astound the ages!

Moreover, even those Great Powers who mastered the essence of heaven and earth could not possibly achieve such an astonishing rate of advancement!